T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
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1084.1 | | MANANA::RAVAN | Get WISE! | Tue Feb 02 1988 08:43 | 11 |
| The average figure is fairly low; 10-12 years, I think. But I've known
cats of over 20, who remained quite active until their final illness;
and I've read of cats reaching 30 (but that's extreme). One factor is
whether the cat is neutered; non-neutered cats would be less likely
to live that long.
My two are going on twelve, and are as fat and sassy as they've
ever been; with luck I'll have them around for a good long time
yet.
-b
|
1084.2 | Seventeen and still going strong... | FSHQOA::RWAXMAN | | Tue Feb 02 1988 09:22 | 9 |
| My mom's cat, Taffy, is seventeen!! She is definitely regressing
in her old age, i.e., doesn't want to go outdoors anymore, "talks"
to us constantly, and is getting very thin (although she seems to
eat more than she did when she as younger). The vet said she is
in perfect health and her actions are normal for an older cat.
Taffy followed me home when she was just a kitten, and I can't imagine
life without her!
|
1084.3 | nobody knows | ERASER::KALLIS | Just everybody please calm down... | Tue Feb 02 1988 10:26 | 9 |
| There's no linear rule (i.e., one human year = x cat years).
My vet tels me that there are _two_ average lifespans. For some
cats, it's about 12-13; for the others, it's 15-16. Morgan and
Nianinne lived to 15; Angelica lived to 18. Morlock died at about
three. I once met a 26-year-old cat; she had one tooth left, but
otherwise was alert and mildly imperious.
Steve Kallis, Jr.
|
1084.4 | 9 Lives | AIMHI::SCHELBERG | | Tue Feb 02 1988 12:07 | 9 |
| My girlfriend's cat Ophelia....died at the ripe old age of
19 1/2.....my girlfriend at the time was twenty years old so you
can imagine how close to the cat she was!
How long can a cat live? As long as it wants! :-) Don't they
have nine lives?????
bobbi
|
1084.5 | | PBA::DALEY | | Tue Feb 02 1988 12:22 | 14 |
| I have mentioned my two Siamese who lived to be 20 and 24 years
old. The one that died at 20 looked good until the very last month
when she started losing weight rapidly due to a tumor. The other
one looked good until the day before I put her to sleep. I believe
Siamese tend to live long lives - and these girls were neutered
and never went outside.
My current cats are youngsters ranging from about a year to
10 years. These cats are not of a particular breed except the
10-year old who is part Siamese. These guys and girls are
also all neutered and never go outside.
My aunt's cat lived to be 19 and enjoyed all 19 of those years.
|
1084.6 | Try this rule of thumb.. | MEMV02::BULLOCK | Flamenco--NOT flamingo!! | Tue Feb 02 1988 12:27 | 20 |
| One vet I knew (and liked and trusted) said a basic rule of thumb
is the more ornery a cat is, the longer they live. (Then I should
have my Billie for another 20 years!!)
My first cat lived to 16; began to fail rapidly a month before
we had to put her down. She was an indoor/outdoor cat.
My Billie is neutered, and has been an indoor cat with very few
(supervised) forays outside. She is 10, and is the picture of good
health.
Oh yes, I just found this out--speaking of long life and health;
did you know that peacock feathers are WONDERFUL cat-teasers? I
just got her one, and as long as I don't leave it on the floor (or
she'd chew it to shreds), it's great. She chases it as I wave it
around for her, and generally acts like a kitten.
Let's hope they ALL enjoy good health and long life!
Jane
|
1084.7 | 5 to 1 | POET::BURLEW | Purr is my favorite sound! | Wed Feb 03 1988 17:34 | 6 |
| I read somewhere a few months ago that 1 cat year equals approximately
5 human years. If true, that would make my Serena (almost 15 years)
approximately 75!
Ande (Serena and Sherlock's mom)
|
1084.8 | | NZOV07::PARKINSON | Reunite Gondwanaland! | Sat Feb 20 1988 15:37 | 25 |
| According to 'The Book of the Cat', the first year of a cat's life
equates to about 15 human years, and after that the ratio slows
down so that when a cat is about eight each year equals about four
of ours, and when it is over 12 each year equals about three of
ours. It's not as simple as one year cat = x years human. They give
a rough table:
Cat human
1 15
2 25
6 45
10 60
14 72
20 90
25 105
30 120
The "normal" lifespan of domestic pet cats is about 14, but many
pets far outlive this. Solitary urban strays have an average lifespan
of only two years; cats in feral colonies rarely live beyond 10.
Neutered cats generally live longest; roaming entire toms generally live
the shortest time.
SLP
|